Transitions

Shopko had a huge clearance and I actually decided to replace our plain jane table.  The table was sturdy and the ends flipped down but I hated the chairs.  Sometimes I'd try to scoot my seat up and the one chair was missing a screw.  I would end up getting my thumb pinched in between the frame and the seat with me sitting on my own hand.  One good reason to replace the chairs at least.

Nine years later I knew I wanted to get a nice decorative table with solid chairs to spice up the dining room.   I didn't think the 5 piece set would come in a big 135 lb. box for complete assembly.  I am not mr. handyman at about anything.  Usually my wife is handy and can read assembly instructions a lot better.  To say in the least, she let this to me.

I let Dane know that we have a new table.  Daddy needs to put it together.  I showed him the flyer of what it will look like when it's finished.  My wife took the kids up north to her dads to drop a box of Ally's smaller cloths to give to her brothers daughter who's a year younger.  It works out decent.  When Ally gets too big we donate the clothes to her cousin.  Most of the clothes we get are from 2nd hand stores or on extreme markdown at the stores.

A few hours later my wife and kids returned from their 2 hour drive.  The very first reaction from Dane turned into a meltdown.  He wanted to take the table apart and help me put it back together.  He went down on his hands and knees crying and started banging his head on the floor.  I had to talk him through it and get him to agree to go outside with me so I could take him for a walk in the wagon around the block.  When we got back he was much more accepting to the transition of the new table.

Anything different needs to be drilled into his head that something is going to change and he needs to be forewarned.  I showed him the flyer and the box of the un-assembled table and chairs.  I told him we have a new table.  If I would have just gotten a new dining set without giving him notice he would have been much worse to regain control over.